1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an accumulator for preventing a liquid refrigerant, which has not been evaporated in an evaporator of a refrigeration cycle system used in a refrigerator, an air conditioner or the like, from being introduced into a compressor, and more particularly, to an accumulator configured to be easily installed and to allow noise to be generated at a minimum level.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A refrigeration cycle system is provided in a machine for generating cold air such as a refrigerator or an air conditioner. In general, the refrigeration cycle system comprises a compressor for compressing a gas refrigerant to high temperature and high pressure, a condenser for converting the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant compressed in the compressor into a normal-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant, a capillary for converting the normal-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant into a low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant, and an evaporator for converting the low-temperature and low-pressure liquid refrigerant into a gas refrigerant and simultaneously absorbing surrounding heat. Since the liquid refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator while absorbing the surrounding heat, the air around the evaporator can be changed into cold air, which in turn supplied to predetermined portions where the cold air is required.
Further, an accumulator is installed between the evaporator and the compressor. The accumulator serves to prevent the liquid refrigerant, which has not been evaporated in the evaporator, from being introduced into the compressor.
The refrigeration cycle system operates the compressor and circulates the refrigerant to perform the refrigeration function. At this time, the cooling efficiency is enhanced when a high-pressure refrigerant is fully evaporated and then introduced into the compressor. Thus, the accumulator for preventing the unevaporated liquid refrigerant from being introduced into the compressor plays an important role in improving the performance of the chiller.
FIG. 1 is a sectional view of an accumulator applied to a conventional refrigeration cycle system.
As shown in the figure, a longitudinal outlet pipe 1 connected to a compressor is provided on an upper portion of a conventional accumulator. Further, a chamber 3 which is formed integrally with the outlet pipe 1 and has a predetermined space for storing liquid refrigerant therein is formed below the outlet pipe 1. A lower end of the chamber 3 is connected to an inlet pipe 5 through which the refrigerant is introduced from an evaporator. Further, an upper end of the inlet pipe 5 placed in the chamber 3 is bent at a predetermined angle. In addition, an oil recovery hole 7 is formed at a portion of the inlet pipe 5 corresponding to the lower end of the chamber 3.
In the conventional accumulator so configured, the gas and liquid refrigerants which are respectively evaporated and not evaporated while passing through the evaporator when the compressor is operated are introduced into the chamber 3 through the inlet pipe 5. Here, the gas refrigerant is discharged through the outlet pipe 1 to the compressor, whereas the unevaporated liquid refrigerant stays in the chamber 3.
At this time, when the operation of the compressor stops, oil and the unevaporated liquid refrigerant staying in the chamber 3 of the accumulator is introduced again into the evaporator through the oil recovery hole 7 formed in the inlet pipe 5 placed in the chamber 3. At this time, some of the gas refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator is introduced into the chamber 3 through the oil recovery hole 7 and rises through the liquid refrigerant staying in the chamber 3 to thereby generate bubbles.
However, the aforementioned prior art has the following problems.
The aforementioned related art accumulator can be installed only in a longitudinal direction due to the vertical configuration required for separating the gas and liquid refrigerants from each other. Therefore, there is a problem in that spatial restrictions are imposed when the accumulator is installed
Further, since a portion of the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator flows out through the oil recovery hole 7 while flowing along the inlet pipe 5, there is a problem in that bubbles are generated in the liquid refrigerant staying in the chamber 3 to thereby generate noise. Further, when the bubbles are generated as described above, the liquid refrigerant can be substantially prevented from being recovered to the evaporator through the oil recovery hole 7. Therefore, there is a problem in that the recovery rate of liquid refrigerant is lowered in the conventional accumulator.